


Since We're Here

by Lumendea



Series: Timey Wimey Stuff [5]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Gen, Time Loop, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 03:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5031397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumendea/pseuds/Lumendea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a rather rushed and odd meeting with the Tenth Doctor; the Fifth Doctor and his companions find themselves babysitting a young Sammy Tyler. Starring 10th Doctor, 5th Doctor, Rose Tyler, Tegan and Turlough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Since We're Here   
by Lumendea   
Chapter One: A Little Bump

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, nor do I get paid for writing this.

……………………

“It's lovely here,” Tegan Jovanka told the blond Doctor next to her as they walked through a calm marketplace. Her short brown hair was covered with a traditional purple wrap of the planet and matched her purple flight attendant uniform very nicely. “Peaceful for a change.”

Nodding, the Doctor adjusted his cream-colored hat against the light of the two orange suns. He had a small pleased smile on his face and could feel the tension draining out of his shoulders. Things had been a bit rough for them all lately, they were overdue a nice calm trip to see something new.

"Not much happens here on Casimax. It is a trading world with ties to every nearby planet and it a vital part of the region economy,” the Doctor explained, slipping into guid mode. 

Turlough, who was following behind them sighed and looked at the Doctor. "It seems awfully dull here Doctor,” he observed in a bored tone.

Glancing at the red head behind him, the Doctor gave him a warning look and said, "Things have been rather difficult lately and you know what happened the last time we went to the Eye of Orion." 

Tegan shuddered at the memory of the strange events and glanced at the Doctor. “Are you sure there isn't going to be any trouble Doctor?” she questioned him with a worrying look.

“I doubt that there will be any trouble Tegan,” the Doctor replied with a small reassuring smile. “Relax, enjoy being on a world that the rest of your people won't see for three-hundred and forty-two years." 

Chuckling, Tegan shook her head and glanced at the various stores and shops along the metallic street. Everything was in a rich purple color that shined in the sunlight. She smiled and almost completely relaxed, but then heard a crash from down the street. Turning her head, she realized the Doctor was already moving towards the source of the noise. Sighing, she looked at Turlough and they raced after him.

A cloud of purple dust was pouring into the streets from a tall narrow building. Motioning the crowds back, the blond Doctor walked toward the door with a determined frown on his face. A moment later two small forms rushed out of the building and nearly collided with the Doctor. Jumping aside, he tried to grab the arms of the brown-haired boy who looked to be about nine years old. He missed the arm, but his fingers brushed the boy's skin and the Doctor felt for just a moment the mind of another Time Lord. The boy didn't stop and notice this contact. He and the brunette girl rushed past the crowds, ducking under arms and past Tegan and Turlough.

Blinking, the Doctor shook the encounter from his mind despite the rarity of meeting another Time Lord other than the Master or the Rani away from Gallifrey and such a young one. Another form appeared as the dust began to clear, this one large enough to be a humanoid adult. The Doctor reached over to help as a thin brown-haired man stepped into the street holding a sleeping toddler clutching a stuffed bear in his arms. 

“Are you alright?” The blond Doctor questioned the man, reaching out his hand to offer support. 

The brown haired man who was wearing a brown pinstripe suit with a long trench coat that looked familiar turned to him sharply. Surprised brown eyes met him that carried a hint of amusement and no small amount of worry.

“Did you see two children?” the man questioned the Doctor after a beat, "Brown hair, probably running?”

The Doctor nodded and pointed toward the East Market, unable to shake an odd feeling of dread at what was happening here. Time Lord children certainly did not belong off of Gallifrey. Such a thing was unheard of save for his own granddaughter Susan, but even she hadn’t been nearly that young.

“They ran that way,” the Doctor answered as he inspected the building for any clues. It had returned to normal, leaving him to wonder what had caused all the dust. “Seemed to be in a panic.”

The brown haired man looked past the crowd and then down at the blond toddler in his arms. Just as the Doctor was about to demand some answers and go after the strange Time Lord children the man in front of him sighed.

“Tifegerian dust bomb,” the brown haired man told the Doctor. “I need to find Alex and Abby before the effects where off.”

“The children were hit?” the Doctor asked in alarm, disregarding the very human names for the time being.

“Just those two,” the man said quickly with a touch of impatience and worry colouring his tone. “Sammy is fine. Once I get Alex and Abby back to the TARDIS med bay they'll be fine.” 

Knowing the children were Gallifreians meant that the word shouldn’t surprise him so much, but it did. The Doctor studied the strange man, but couldn’t feel his mind.

“What?” he asked with slight alarm and suspicion.

The brown-haired man turned back to him with a grin and gently shook the boy in his arms awake.

“Sammy,” the man said gently with a wide grin, “I have to find Alex and Abby so behave yourself.”

“What?” the Doctor asked again, this time more loudly. 

Grinning wider, the brown-haired tenth Doctor set Sammy into the arms of his younger Fifth form.

“Since you're here or rather we're here you can help,” he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and beamed widely. “Did I mention that I'm you?” 

Before the Fifth Doctor could get a word out, the Tenth Doctor began to rush down the street. “We'll pick Sammy up later!” he shouted before vanishing around a corner.

Gaping, the Fifth Doctor looked down at the small boy that had been dropped in his arms. The blond child smiled up at him and blinked a pair of soft brown eyes. Swallowing nervously, the Doctor tried to shake off what he had just been told so rapidly and avoided thoughts of the problems of crossing his own time line. Instead he gave the boy a small smile.

“So your name is Sammy?” the Doctor questioned, wondering how things must have changed to give a child such a human name. 

The child nodded and added, “I'm Samatmaha Tyler. I'm four.” The boy grinned and proudly held up the bear for the Doctor to see. “This is Teddy of TARDIS.” 

Nodding, the Doctor moved away from the crowd and set the boy down. Kneeling in front of him, the Doctor kept smiling as he asked, “And who was that man you were with?”

The boy gave him an odd look and giggled in amusement. “That was my Daddy, the Doctor. You in the future, I've seen the pictures. He says he liked cricket in this body.”

Despite the small suspicion that had been growing at the back of his mind the Doctor was stunned by the child’s frank verification. Fortunately Tegan and Turlough had finished maneuvering through the crowd and joined him. 

The Doctor was saved from having to think on the words too much or reply to the child's comment by Tegan and Turlough coming up to him. 

“Doctor?” Turlough questioned as he studied the small child, “What happened?”

“I'm not entirely sure,: the Doctor muttered without looking at them. “It happened so fast.”

Sammy giggled and Tegan knelt down next to him while giving the Doctor a concerned look. His face was slightly slack with shock as he stared at the child.

“Who is this Doctor?” she asked as her eyes darted between the Doctor and the small boy that had so stunned him.

The Doctor searched for words for a moment while Sammy blinked up at him with an adoring smile. 

Finally, the Doctor replied with a small smile, “Tegan, how do you feel about babysitting?”


	2. Nap Time is For Wimps

Since We're Here

by Lumendea

Chapter Two: Nap Time is For Wimps

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, nor do I get paid for writing this.

 

……………..

 

Tegan couldn't help but stare at the small boy slumped against the Doctor's shoulder as they walked back to the TARDIS. She’d seen a lot of things traveling with the Doctor, but she’d never seen what he looked like carrying a child before. The small blond was asleep with an angelic smile on his face. Tegan smiled at the small child before looking at the back of the Doctor's head.

 

“So,” Turlough asked as he raised an eyebrow at the child, “We're just supposed to watch this kid until your future self comes for him.”

 

“Correct,” the Doctor said simply as they walked up to the TARDIS.

 

The Doctor shifted Sammy in his arms so he could dig out his key and unlocked the TARDIS with a grace that was stunning given he had never had reason to do such a maneuver before. Tegan and Turlough glanced at each other as they entered the TARDIS. Sammy blinked, yawned and lifted his head to look around the TARDIS console room.

 

“Looks different,” he observed sleepily before snuggling back into the Doctor's arms. “Not as fun.” The boy was asleep a moment later.

 

Tegan chuckled and smiled at the sleeping child again. The Doctor said something under his breath and laughed softly.  


“He sleeps a lot doesn't he, Doctor?”

 

“Young boys need rest, Tegan,” the Doctor told her as he headed for the TARDIS bedrooms.

 

Turning back to Turlough, Tegan crossed her arms and sighed. She leaned back against the console controls, trying to adjust the sudden new oddity in the TARDIS.

 

“What do you think?” she asked her fellow companion as she gestured down the hall.

 

“Does it really matter?” Turlough asked, “I'm sure his parents will be here soon and then we can be off.”

 

“His parents...” Tegan said thoughtfully. “I hadn't thought of that. I wonder who his mother is? Actually I wonder if he has a mother. I mean the Doctor is an alien”

  
“True,” Turlough agreed, “But does it really matter?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.  


“Aren't you curious?” Tegan asked with smile on her face.

 

“Not that much Tegan,” Turlough chuckled as he crossed his arms and leaned against the console. “I'm not that fascinated with the Doctor's love life.”

 

“I'm glad,” the Doctor’s voice said from the hallway, drawing their attention. He stepped back into the console room, ignoring Tegan’s blush and Turlough’s smirk.

 

“The TARDIS made up a little room for Sammy,” he informed them calmly, “He'll be fine while he rests.”

 

“So now what?” Turlough asked, “Just sit around and wait?”

  
“I'd enjoy the peace and quiet while we can,” the Doctor told his companion with a raised eyebrow. “Something tells me that he will be more of a handful when he is awake.”

  
“So is he really your son?” Tegan asked, the curiosity overwhelming her.

 

The Doctor turned to Tegan and nodded. “Yes he is. I touched the older boy too and he is definitely my son as well. I do hope that my future self is recovering those two safely.”

 

“What happened to them anyway?” Turlough asked the Doctor.  


“Oh, they were dosed with alien gas. Just sends them wild and they need to contained. They aren’t truly capable at their age of harming someone and Casimax is very peaceful so we needn’t be too worried.”

 

A loud crash caught their attention and the Doctor turned and rushed back into the hallway. Tegan dashed after him as Turlough sighed and shook his head before following them at a slower pace. The TARDIS' white halls echoed with another crash and then a sharp cry. Opening one of the doors, the Doctor sighed in relief as he found Sammy standing over a broken pot from Pompeii with a sorrowful look.

 

“Sorry,” Sammy said sadly as he looked up at the Doctor.

 

Stepping around the shards, the Doctor picked up Sammy and moved the boy back onto the bed. He kept one gentle hand on the boy’s knee while he reached for Sammy’s small shoes. For a moment he marveled at the size of them in his hand.

 

“It’s alright Sammy,” the Doctor said gently as he handed the shoes to the small boy. “Put your shoes on before you stand up.”

 

Tegan watched the exchange with interest as she took the wastebin from the corner and slowly put the broken shards into it. Turlough looked at the now wide awake boy and smiled in spite of himself.

 

 

“Now that you are awake, what would you like to do?” the Doctor questioned the four year old in front of him.  


“Do have any toys?”

 

The Doctor paused at Sammy's question before standing back up and offering the small blond his hand.

 

“I’m not sure what all is in this old TARDIS,” the Doctor said with a smile. “Let’s have a look.”

 

“TARDIS treasure hunt,” Sammy said with a smile. “Never changes.”

 

Chuckling, Tegan shook her head and grinned. “He's your son alright”  


“Course,” Sammy told her with a firm look which his soft brown eyes didn't really pull off. “My Daddy's the Doctor and I'm a Time Lord.”  


“Who is your mother?” Turlough asked to everyone's surprise.  


“Telling you would change Daddy's past.”

 

The Doctor chuckled at the serious look on the boy’s face and said, “It is alright Sammy. I'm going to have to bury these memories anyway. Although it really isn't Turlough's concern.”  


“Oh,” the child said softly, “Alright then.”

 

As the Doctor lead Sammy out into the hall if search of something to entertain the child, Tegan turned to Turlough and smirked at him. Shrugging Turlough walked into the hall and headed for his room.

 

“Simple curiosity,” Turlough called back to her.

 

Shaking her head, Tegan put the wastebasket back in the corner and walked to her own room. She just hoped the Doctor could handle that little blond angel for a few hours by himself.

 


	3. Play Time

Since We're Here

by Lumendea

Chapter Three: Play Time

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, nor do I get paid for writing this.

AN: If you haven’t checked out my first book yet go and give it a look: The Iron Realm by J.M. Briggs.

……………

 

Tegan and Turlough were in the control room when another loud crash made Tegan sigh. Around her the white console room seemed to reverberate with the sound and shuddered. She paused and listened for a moment as she leaned lightly against the console. The laughter of the Doctor drifting down the hallway a moment later assured her that nothing was wrong, at least nothing dangerous anyway. Glancing at Turlough, she couldn't help the tiny smile pulling at her lips.

 

“Suppose we shouldn't be surprised that Sammy likes to play with space ship parts,” Turlough commented with a shrug as the sound of an engine coming to life echoed in the halls. “Though he could be a little less noisy.”

 

“I suppose not,” Tegan agreed. “Mind you at that age I would have preferred a doll house to the Doctor’s junk room.” Tegan stretched and looked around the console room. She tapped her fingers on the console, careful not to hit any buttons, and looked at Turlough. “You know,” she said, “Only one of us needs to be here waiting for the future Doctor. We could take turns.”

 

“Right,” Turlough agreed with a nod. He glanced at Tegan and noted the tired expression on her face. “I'll watch first,” he offered with a sigh and a slight roll of his eyes.

 

“Thanks,” Tegan told him with a grateful nod and a brilliant smile. “I’ll be back in two hours.”

 

Tegan smiled to herself as she returned to her room and tried to ignore the rapid chattering and soft crashes and explosions coming from down the hall. If she was lucky she’d be able to manage a nap and if not, just getting out of her heels sounded nice. Behind her she heard Turlough sigh dramatically again and barely held back a chuckle.

 

…………

 

The Fifth Doctor watched the boy's small hands shift the circuits of the Aedamian computing unit with fascination. Children on Gallifrey were of course taught engineering and other physical sciences from a very young age, but the attitude wasn’t that it should be play. In fact he had distinct memories of the professors doing everything they could to keep the lessons from being fun, insisting that it would make them sloppy. His future self had clearly not followed this line of thinking because while Sammy was focused intensively on his project there was a spark in his eye that betrayed how much the boy loved it.

 

The Doctor gently brushed a few loose bangs from the boy's face and chuckled as the child frowned at the machine in front of him. After a moment, the little boy stood up and walked over to the massive pile of odd bits and pieces that were lying all over the work bench. The Doctor didn't bother to get up and help the boy as he seemed to know exactly what he was looking for. Instead the Doctor kept examining the child and marveling at the odd little bubble of pride he could feel trying to rise in him. As Sammy turned back to him, the Doctor smiled and was pleased at the grin that let up the four-year-old's face.

 

Sammy returned to the unit and began plugging in what looked like a Poltieic molecular stabilizer. The Doctor did grin in pride at this even as he noted Sammy still clutching his teddy bear. An odd mixture it seemed, able to build extremely complex systems and still using a comfort object. Reaching over, the Doctor helped Sammy maneuver the new pieces into place.

 

“This is fun,” Sammy said suddenly, “You have different parts now.”

 

“You do this often?”

 

“Yep,” Sammy replied, popping the p with a smile. “A lot with James, but sometime with Alex and Abby.”

 

“Your brothers and sister?” the Doctor questioned, not able to help himself and aware of the fact he'd have to hide the memories soon enough. Surely if he was going to forget this all anyway then a few… innocent questions couldn’t hurt.

 

“I have two brother and two sisters,” Sammy told him without looking up from his project, “Alex and Abby are twins and James is older than me, but Diana is just a baby.”

 

“Where was your brother James?”

 

The Doctor could only remember seeing the two oldest children and certainly not an infant. He noted Sammy shrugging and sliding a new power unit next to the couplings.

 

“Probably with Mum and Diana; I think Dad asked him to keep an eye on the TARDIS controls while he looked for a new time tracer in the marketplace with me and the twins. I really wanted to go so he let me if I promised to stay out of trouble,” Sammy giggled. “Then Alex and Abby got into trouble, but not me.”

 

……………….

 

Turlough huffed softly as he tapped his fingers on the console of the TARDIS and glanced down at the watch he had picked up on Earth. Sighing again, he tapped his foot and glanced away from the door. His two hours were up and now his feet were sore, they really needed to discuss the Doctor putting a chair into the console room. He was about to yell for Tegan when the door of the TARDIS suddenly swung open. An attractive blond woman in dark blue pants and a purple long sleeved shirt walked in. She blinked at Turlough and smiled.

 

“Please tell me you're that child's mother,” Turlough demanded as he straightened up.

 

Rose raised an eyebrow at Turlough but replied, “Yes, I'm Sammy mother.”

 

“Excellent,” Turlough pushed the lever to close the TARDIS door and motioned down the hall, “I've been listening to small crashes and techno talk for the last two hours.”

 

“That sounds just about right,” Rose remarked with a grin, “I know my way to the workshop. Thank you Turlough.”

 

“How do you know my name.”

 

Rose glanced up at his hair and smirked, “My husband hasn't traveled with that many gingers. I think it makes him jealous.”


	4. Future Wife

Since We're Here

by Lumendea

Chapter Four: Future Wife

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, nor do I get paid for writing this.

 

………………….

 

Turlough blinked after the blonde woman as she waltzed past him and down one of the corridors. The heels of her low brown boots clicked on the white floor of the TARDIS and she seemed completely at ease with the situation. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but somehow the strange woman did not meet whatever his expectations might have been. She seemed too human, too amused and too… oh he didn’t know. It was hard enough to imagine the Doctor in a romantic relationship much less what such a person would have to be. He shuddered slightly, displeased with his own train of thought. Shaking his head, he headed for Tegan's room with a slight smile. He knocked sharply on her door and she answered a moment later.

 

“Sorry Turlough,” Tegan apologized as she leaned against the doorway to pull her shoes back on. “I slept a bit longer than I mean to. I was on my way.”

 

“Actually the mother just arrived,” Turlough informed her calmly. “She’s already inside the TARDIS.”

 

Tegan raised an eyebrow in interest and followed Turlough down the hall toward the workshop. He could tell from the way she was walking behind him that Tegan was very eager to see this mysterious mother. As they turned one of the final corners, she spotted the back of a blonde woman who was about to enter the workshop. She must have heard them since she turned and smiled.

 

“I'm Tegan Jovanka,” Tegan introduced herself quickly straightening up and extending her hand.

 

“Nice to meet you Tegan,” Rose replied as she shook Tegan’s hand with a widening smile. “I'm Rose Tyler.”

 

Before Tegan could start asking any questions, Rose opened the door to the workshop and grinned as Sammy looked up at her.

 

“Mummy!”

 

She dropped down quickly to her knees and let her youngest son rush into her arms. He almost knocked her over and Rose laughed in amusement, kissing his head softly. She ran her fingers through his messy hair for a moment with a soft easy going chuckle. The sight was something Tegan hadn’t seen before on the TARDIS and yet didn’t completely look out of place. Tegan looked over at the Doctor and noted that he was watching the reunion with a strange bemused look on his face and maybe a hint of nervousness.

 

“Hello Sammy,” Rose greeted with a grin, “Have you been behaving?”

 

Sammy pulled away with a nervous look on his face as his eyes darted up to the earlier version of his father who was watching the exchange with fascination. The boy then lowered his eyes back to his mother and sheepishly smiled.

 

“I broke a vase,” he admitted softly, “it was an accident Mummy.”  


The Fifth Doctor was surprised when Sammy's mother looked right up at him, clearly expecting something from him. Tegan almost laughed the surprise on the Time Lord’s face and for a moment he looked utterly lost.

 

“I'm sure it was an accident,” the woman said pointedly to both him and Sammy.

 

“Yes, don't worry about it,” the Doctor interjected with a rather unsure smile. “If I honestly want another I can dash back in five minutes without any problem.”

 

The woman smiled and nodded as she hugged Sammy again making the Doctor feel oddly relieved. He shifted uncomfortably as he noticed Tegan and Turlough watching the exchange with interest. This was a bit out of his usual range of situations. It was strange having so little idea of how to react, then again at the Academy the primary lesson had simply been to never allow things like this to occur.

 

He studied the woman quickly, she was human he was certain, but there seemed to be something a bit odd about her. Something just at the edge of his senses that was quiet interesting and promising. She was attractive and seemed quiet at ease with a temporally complex situation. That would be necessary he supposed, traveling with humans was one thing, but to become… involved with one would require a special sort of human.

 

“I'm Rose Tyler by the way,” the blonde woman informed the Doctor. “Pleasure to meet you in this incarnation Doctor. Thank you for looking after him today.”

 

Rose stood and took Sammy's hand before using her free hand to reach into her pocket. She pulled out a small case and handed it to the Doctor.

 

“What's this?”

 

“You can erase your memories of this but Tegan and Turlough can't. First Law of Time and all that,” Rose answered with a slight roll of her eyes that made the Doctor smile. “Those pills will simply erase the memory of this.” As Tegan began to protest, Rose turned to her and quickly added, “It won't hurt you, but it will keep time stable. The other option is having the Doctor erase your memories himself.”

 

The Doctor nodded his understanding, it was disappointing to be sure, but he didn’t want this getting back to Gallifrey. That would be an utter nightmare even if right now he was ‘president’. They didn’t have much appreciation for the oddities in life. Tegan and Turlough didn't respond to that, but grumbled to themselves before moving away from the door. Sammy blinked in confusion and looked up at his mother.

 

“Are the older two children safe?” the Doctor finally asked.

 

“Yes, they are fine,” Rose assured him with a soft smile. “Everyone waiting back at our TARDIS.”

 

“Does that mean we have to leave?”

 

Nodding, Rose chuckled at her son's slight pout and told him gently, “Go get your coat Sammy.”

 

The boy nodded and darted out of the room toward her bedroom he had napped in. It occurred to the Doctor that he and this mysterious Rose Tyler were suddenly alone. The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to hide his discomfort. Rose couldn't help the small smirk that appeared on her lips.

 


	5. Going Home

Since We're Here

by Lumendea

Chapter Five: Going Home

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, nor do I get paid for writing this.

 

………..

 

The Doctor stared at Rose with more fascination than he felt comfortable with, but he couldn't look away from her as she gave Tegan and Turlough the pills and sent them to their rooms. She told them that the pill would make them fall asleep and keep the memories from being stored in their long-term memory. Under normal circumstances he would have wanted to test such a pill, but right now his mind was a little preoccupied. Shoving his hand in his pockets, the Doctor hung back from Rose as Tegan and Turlough walked off.

 

He followed Rose in silence to the console room. She turned back to him with a small smirk. The Doctor felt a small wave of curiosity and annoyance at her confident attitude and her enjoyment of the situation. Finally, the silence became too much.

 

“Where is Sammy?”

 

“It usually takes that boy a few minutes to get himself in order. He takes after you in that. You only move efficiently when there is danger,” Rose answered with a glance at the door and a small smile. “Granted Alex and Abby are even worse. They mean well, but they have a knack for finding trouble.”

 

“I suppose they got that from me too?”

 

“No,” Rose replied with a smile tugging at her lips, “I've set records for being jeopardy friendly as a companion. Once the twins were born, I tried to rein it in some.”

 

“Oh,” the Doctor cursed the awkwardness again, “So how long have we traveled together?”

 

“Years,” Rose breathed with a smile smile, “Hard to keep track. We traveled for a while before we became… involved and then it was a few years before the kids were born.”

 

“This is going to get me exiled again,” the Doctor sighed, putting his hands into his pockets with a little smile.

 

“You just ran away from Gallifrey after being named President, Doctor,” Rose teased gently with a soft look in her eyes.

 

The Doctor laughed, the tension dispelling slightly and he managed a smile. She smiled in return to him, her concern for him shining through quiet brightly. It was more than a little odd to be the subject of such a non platonic affectionate look.

 

“You are human correct?” the Doctor questioned glancing her over.

 

“Early Earth twenty-first century,” Rose answered with a nod and seeing a worried look cross the Doctor’s face she added, “But well… I have a much longer life expectancy due to some of our… adventures.”

 

He wanted to ask, oh did he want to ask, but the hesitation in her voice told him too clearly that whatever it had been was a painful memory for her. Instead he shifted for a moment and glanced towards the door that Sammy had vanished through.

 

“Are we happy?” he heard himself ask before he could think better of it.

 

She gave him a blinding smile, one that made his right heart skip a beat and made him feel a bit off center.

 

“Very happy. I’m grateful for my mad Time Lords and Ladies every day.”

 

Oh, well that was good. Gallifrey be damned then. That sounded much better. He felt himself smiling in return, feeling quiet like a much mucher younger man than he truly was. Rose looked toward the door and Sammy came dashing into the room. His blond hair was messy, his converses untied and his teddy bear in his arms.

 

“Okay Mum!”

 

Rose kept her smile from growing too much as she told Sammy to tie his shoes and held Teddy of TARDIS for him. When the boy was done, Rose sent him toward the door and turned back to the Doctor.

 

“Thank you for looking after him,” she told the Doctor with soft smile

 

“Of course," the Doctor answered with a nod, "I'll be sure to suppress the memories.”

 

“Alright,” Rose nodded with a smile.

 

Then she kissed him on the mouth. Softly, but enough to surprise him. Sammy groaned and ewwed from the doorway of the TARDIS. Rose pulled back a moment later and kissed his cheek.

 

“See you in four regenerations.”

 

Then she took Sammy's hand and they walked out of the TARDIS leaving the Doctor shaking his blond head in amusement and a tiny spark of awe.

 

Rose smiled as her brown-haired Doctor ruffled his hair and moved around the console. He was twisting knobs and resetting levers for a moment before the TARDIS moved. Then he turned to Rose and Sammy as they entered the Vortex.

 

“Alex and Abby are sleeping off the effects, James is in the library and Diana is down for a nap,” the Doctor informed her with a hint of pride.

 

“Good,” Rose replied, “Looked like you and Sammy were having fun.”

 

Nodding, the Doctor hugged his son and picked him up. He was saddened for a moment that he couldn't remember the events that had just played out. His son snuggled against him and he grinned. It didn't matter, not really. Sammy was fine, Alex and Abby were fine and James had once again stayed out of trouble. Reaching out for Rose's hand, he waggled his fingers and grinned. Rose took her husband's hand as the Doctor set Sammy back down. The boy rushed into the depths of the TARDIS to go play.

 

“You were a little foxy in that body, Doctor,” Rose breathed as she stepped up behind her husband and ran a hand up his arm.

 

“Just a little?”

 

“Maybe a bit more than a little, but then I seem to have a weakness for a certain Time Lord in no matter the body,” Rose replied with a playful smile.

 

The Doctor wrapped an arm firmly around his wife, dragginf her in front of him and kissed her soundly. He gave her a very serious look a moment later which he didn't manage to hold for more than thirty seconds.

 

“You know, Rose, the kids are all occupied or asleep.”

 

“Oh,” she grinned, “Since we're here…”

 

“Since we're here.”


End file.
